Claire’s Column – Local Business: Get Involved

Published on: 10 Sep, 2014
Updated on: 10 Sep, 2014

In this regular column – a must-read for all those interested in Guildford business – Claire Dee highlights the importance of local business people having their say and getting involved.

Claire Dee

It’s September and the business world is back from the summer break and in full swing. Great news; but it’s all too easy to focus inwards on your own workload and not look outwards and get involved in the local business community.

And now is most definitely the time.

Award nominations are being sought, exhibitions are being held, and networking events are aplenty – from the Surrey Branch of the Institute of Directors, to Surrey Chambers of Commerce, Business Women in Surrey, and the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (EM3 LEP).

In fact, EM3 LEP is currently looking for additional business leaders to join its high profile board, but hurry as the closing date is 5pm this Friday, September 12.

The EM3 LEP business-led partnership helps drive economic growth across much of Surrey and Hampshire, and its board members are senior and highly successful people from businesses, higher and further education, the army, local government and the not-for-profit sector.

Its board members play a key role in determining priorities for investment, creating a policy focus, and identifying new ways of working and furthering collaboration across all sectors as the LEP moves into an exciting phase of investment and partnership.

And, having secured £118 million in funding in July from the Government’s Local Growth Fund for the Enterprise M3 area, it is also running a From Strategy to Action seminar in October which will focus on what EM3 LEP and its partners are doing to ensure the successful delivery of the Growth Deal in 2015 and onwards.

All of these local business groups are core to the commercial and entrepreneurial success of Guildford and Surrey and beyond. But they are only as good as the people who lead them and get involved: business people like you.

So go for it and make a difference – you’ll be glad you did.

Claire Dee runs her own communications consultancy near Guildford, and is an active member of the local business community including sitting on the Surrey Chambers of Commerce Council and the Institute of Directors Surrey Committee. To learn more visit www.clairedeecommunications.com